Illinois House pushes for ban on sex with corpses

A measure outlawing fornication with a corpse, along with banning the unauthorized movement of a corpse, passed the Illinois House, 114-0, March 28.

“It’s all out of respect for the deceased,” said state Rep. Daniel Beiser, D-Alton, who is sponsoring the legislation.

State laws don’t address the issue of sex with a corpse, and prosecutors have resorted to charging suspects with criminal damage to property.

“When you think of that, you think of someone going … breaking a mailbox or something similar,” Beiser said. “We obviously understand that isn’t adequate, that anybody who abuses or mishandles a deceased just demeans the meaning of that person’s life.”

If the measure becomes law, sex with a corpse would result in a class 2 felony, with punishments ranging from probation to seven years in prison. Anyone caught moving a corpse would face a class 4 felony, with penalties ranging from probation to three years in jail.

The legislation stems from investigations that found corpses had been moved.

“People were trying to cover up a crime scene and avoid prosecution by actually physically moving the deceased from one spot to another,” Beiser said.